Will clothes shrink on a 60 wash?
The chance of cotton shrinking increases the warmer you wash. At 90 degrees, the fabric will shrink more than at 60 degrees. Do you want to prevent shrinkage? Then preferably wash lower than 60 degrees.
60°C is the perfect temperature for killing bacteria, viruses and removing stains. This wash setting is also highly recommended for washing towels and bedding, but obviously this setting is going to increase running costs as the higher the temperature the higher the cost.
Yes, hot water can shrink clothing. While both hot and warm water can shrink clothes, hot water shrinks clothes after just one was. Warm water shrinks clothes little by little over multiple washes.
Use cold water and the proper wash cycles
If you only remember one rule about how to avoid shrinking clothes, remember this: keep it cool. Clothes are much more likely to shrink when exposed to hot water or high dryer settings. Washing clothes in cold water goes a long way toward preserving the “off-the-rack” size.
A good temperature for washing towels and sheets is 40 degrees, but a 60 degree wash will be better at killing germs. Changing your sheets and towels once a week can help to keep them fresh and clean**.
For example, both cotton shirts and denim jeans will shrink more in a warm or hot wash, followed by a high heat drying cycle. Steam heat will effectively shrink wool clothes, and some fabrics will even shrink when soaked for long periods in warm water.
Between 90 and 110 degrees is considered warm water. And water temperature between 60 and 80 degrees is cold. If your cold water is below 60, it's likely too cool to wash your clothing well.
Hot water is the major culprit in reducing the cotton fabric's size, and it is because of the temperature. Hot water, usually about 130 Fahrenheit, will lose up the cotton fabric and reduce the size.
You will need to fill a bowl with lukewarm water and add just one tablespoon of baby shampoo. Place your item in the bowl and soak for no longer than 20 minutes. Once removed, it is imperative not to wring your item to dry. Instead, begin to gently stretch the clothing straight away while still wet.
Whether or not you should wash clothes at this temperature depends entirely upon the fabric of your garments. Washing at 60°C will not shrink every type of clothing, but may shrink items made of natural fibres such as cotton and wool.
Does washing in cold water shrink clothes?
Cold-water washing means clothing is less likely to shrink or fade and ruin clothes. Cold water can also reduce wrinkles, which saves energy costs (and time) associated with ironing.
Things shrink because of the way the fabric is structured
“When we wash the fabric, the water acts like a lubricant and allows the yarn to relax and sometimes it relaxes to the point of not being under tension any more,” Van Amber says. This causes shrinkage because the yarns ultimately retract and become shorter.
Washing at 60°C will not shrink every type of clothing, but may shrink items made of natural fibres such as cotton and wool.
Between 90 and 110 degrees is considered warm water. And water temperature between 60 and 80 degrees is cold. If your cold water is below 60, it's likely too cool to wash your clothing well.
Hot water is generally 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius) or above. Warm water is generally between 90 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 43 degrees Celsius). Cold water is generally between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 27 degrees Celsius).
Running a 60°C cycle on your washing machine will often take between two and a half and three hours!